Opencast Mining: Opencast of deposits and preparation for excavation; box cut, types; selection of site; formation of production benches; ripping; types of rippers; concept of rippability and cycle of operation; drilling; blast hole drills; performance parameters; requirement of number of drills; blasting; blast design; factors influencing blast design; deep hold blasting; calculation of charge per hole; ground vibration; secondary blasting and problems of blasting side casting; environment friendly non-blasting techniques; safety aspects. Discontinuous/cyclic methods of excavation and transport; shovel dumper operation; applicability of electric shovel and hydraulic excavators; cycle time and productivity calculation; estimation of equipment fleet; dragline operation; side casting; side cast diagram; calculation of reach; cycle time; productivity calculation; bucket capacity requirement; scrappers; types; methods of work; push pull operation etc., bucket wheel excavator; operational methods (lateral block, half block and full block etc.,) productivity calculation; continuous surface miner; operational methods (wide/full base methods, wide/full bench, block mining, stepped cut, empty travel back, turn back and continuous mining methods); conveyors; shiftable and high angle conveyors; mode of operation etc;, OITDS (operator independent truck dispatch system); in-pit crushing and strip-mining; safety aspect.